100 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 15, 1860. 
by saying, “ Y'ou wo’n’t be satisfied until you get it elevated on 
that high stage where only one side can be seen.” He told me 
he felt the force of the hint. 
3rd. The extraordinary crop of Oucumlers. —The other half 
of the house is divided into two, the path continuing along the 
middle with a pit on each side, with pipes at the bottom for 
bottom heat, and pipes round the sides with evaporating-pans for 
top heat. Half of that space, or from 20 feet to 25 feet in length, 
is devoted to Cucumbers, planted in the pit one on each side, 
and trained to a trellis about 15 inches from the glass roof. I 
have been rather successful with Cucumbers at times, and have 
seen fine crops in many places too numerous to mention, but 1 
never saw anything to approach this little house. The man in 
charge said that a few weeks before they counted the fruit hang¬ 
ing, and found them above 200. I glanced my eye along one 
side, and, without being very particular, I made close on ninety 
of fruit from 4 inches to 18 inches long. There was hardly such 
a thing as a fruit standing alone : they were not only in pairs, 
but in threes and fours at a joint, and in several stages of growth. 
For instance t Take a joint at random, there is in one bundles 
young fruit 3 inches long with the bloom on ; a second 6 inches 
long and of ail inch in diameter; a third 1 foot long, and 
oiie some 16 inches, requiring to be cut. The foliage was luxu¬ 
riant and healthy ; but there was not a leaf more on the plants 
than could get justice in the way of exposure to light. There 
seemed to be little fresh growth in the way of shoots, so that the 
process of stopping was next to a sinecure. All the vigour 
beyond the necessary foliage seemed thrown into fruit. There 
was not the trace of disease or insect of any kind. Such proofs 
of superior management ought at least to be chronicled. My 
neighbours, Mr. Fraser and Mr. Peacock, have seen the house, 
and expressed their astonishment. 
"What is the groundwork of this wonderful success ? Chiefly, I 
believe, the skill of the cultivator. I admit, however, that the house 
is admirably fitted for the purpose. The brick walls enclosing the 
pits from the pathway may be from 3 feet to 3 V feet in height. The 
bottom-heat pipes are placed a little above the floor level, and there 
may be 1 foot to 18 inches of open rubble over them, and then the 
soil. In addition to this I noticed that the soil is raised consider¬ 
ably above the level of the wall in a ridge in the centre. The top 
dressing, at least, seemed to be rich leaf mould ; and in addition 
to evaporating-pans on the pipes for top heat, it seemed to me 
that the surface of the bed was frequently sprinkled slightly, just 
to keep it moist. There is plenty of heat for bottom and top, 
and to be used as required. Something may also depend on the 
sort of Cucumber. It is a cross of Mr. Cox’s between the 
Telegraph and Sion House or Kenyon. This house is used for 
winter and spring supply. The summer and autumn Cucumbers 
are procured in the usual way in pits and frames, and other sorts 
are used. This house sort does not seed very freely; and in 
order to keep it true some fruit are marked and saved before 
there are any other Cucumber-plants showing bloom on the pre¬ 
mises. Mr. Cox is well aware that the finest kinds may be 
spoiled if there are other kinds within reasonable distance. By 
thus keeping this sort for house-growth alone, and the care in 
saving seed, he hopes to keep it true and distinct, and I heartily 
trust he will succeed. R. Fish. 
CULTURE OF KALMIA LATIFOLIA AND 
SISYRINCHIUM ANCEPS. 
I have had a Kalmia latifolia for three years in a pot, and 
cannot make it flower. I bought it in bloom four years ago. It 
has a good round head about eighteen inches across, and is in a 
five-inch pot in heath soil. It makes wood freely each season, 
and seems to ripen it well, too. Can you help me? 
What is the Sisyrinchium anceps ! I happen to have a small 
plant of it in a pot. Can you give any information about its 
treatment, &c. ?—G. S. A. 
[It has never been, and probably shall never be, plain or prac¬ 
tical to grow Kalmia latifolia in pots after it is two inches high. 
The moment the plants are out of bloom, after forcing, or 
flowering without forcing, they are taken to a cold pit to harden 
off; and when they have recovered they are planted out of the 
pots, and are not forced again for three years. Forced Ivalmias, 
or pot Ivalmias, must be fresh and fresh. 
Sisyrinchium anceps will do no good in a pot. It is a pretty 
grassy-looking thing with quantities of small, blue, Iris-looking 
flowers, and requires, to get all the goodness out of it, to be in a 
bed similar to that for Ivalmias, Azaleas, and the more delicate 
American plants ; but on very sandy soil S. anceps does tolerably 
well, and it is as hardy as a roebuck, only many people do not 
know that.] 
PLANTS FLOWERING BETWEEN THE 1st 
OF JANUARY AND THE 1st OF MAY, 
Last year I made a list of plants and shrubs thitt flowered ill 
the open ground without any protection, between January 1st 
aud April 1st. This year I have corrected and enlarged the lietj 
and on account of the backward season have extended it to May 
1st. I should now be very glad if you could find room for it in 
The Cottage Gabdenek, aud if you would invite your readers 
to add to it as much as possible. By this means we should get 
a good (perhaps a complete) list of hardy-flowering spring plants. 
The value, however, of such a list will entirely depend on your 
correspondents observing two simple rules. First. To put down 
everything seen in flower, whether they think it ornamental or 
not. Second. To put down nothing but what they have them¬ 
selves seen in flower# All mentioned in the following list I have 
myself seen in flower either in my own or my neighbour’s 
gardens. 
I am sorry to say that I did not record the time of the first 
blooming of’ the different plants, but, with very few exceptions, 
they are put down in the order in which they severally bloomed. 
—II. N. E. 
Hellcborus niger 
„ viridis 
,, olympicus 
,, orientalis 
,, atro-rubus 
,, ,, var. ft. albo 
Jasminium nudiflorum 
Garrya elliptic! 
Violets (single and double) 
Crocuses 
Snowdrops (single and double) 
Tussilago fragrans 
,, alpina 
Cyclamen Coutn (two varieties) 
Chi'nonanthus fragrans 
Daphne Indica rubra (hybridal) 
,, mezereon (red and white) 
,, cneorum 
Ernnthis hyemalis 
Erica herbacea 
,, Mediterranea 
,, lanceolata 
,, cinerea alba 
Hepatica, red (single and double) 
„ blue (ditto) 
,, white 
Laurustinus 
Gorse (single and double) 
Coronilla glauca 
Forsytkia viridissiiua 
Seilla precox 
,, Sibirica 
„ bifolia rubra 
,, Italica 
Jerusalem Cowslips (purple and 
white) 
Kerria Japonica 
Aubrietia purpurea 
Sisyrinchium grandiflorum 
Grape Hyacinth (dark blue, 
light bluo, and white) 
Musk Hyacinth 
Narcissus (double and single) 
,, minor 
,, tenuifolius 
„ bulbocodium 
,, bicolor, &c. 
Cynoglossum omphaloides 
Dondia epipactes 
Virginian Stocks 
Saxifraga oppositifolia 
„ „ alba 
,, granulata fl. pi. 
American Cowslips 
Erythronium dens-canis 
„ „ major 
„ ,, alba 
Iris Pcrsica 
„ tuberosa 
,, pumila 
Veronica Andersonii 
Saponaria calabrica (autumn 
sown) 
Eccremocarpus scabra 
Epimedium rubrum 
Geum montanum 
Honesty 
Arabis 
Doronicum Caucasicum 
Draba Aizoides 
Daffodils 
Anemone nemorosa (single and 
double) 
,, Apennina 
,, garden (single and 
double) 
Periwinkles 
Adonis vernalis 
Kibes sanguineum 
Puschkinia scilloides 
Mandragora officinalis 
Orobus vernus 
Primroses (single and double) 
Polyanthus 
Hyacinths (single and double) 
Tulipa sylvestris 
,, garden (single & double) 
Purple Eumitory 
Auricula 
Myosotis alpestris 
,, white 
Fumaria cava 
Leucocoryne alliacea 
Lamium inaculatuni 
„ „ fl. albo 
Polygala chamrebuxus 
Almond 
Double Cowslips 
„ Daisies 
F ritillaria meleagris (varieties) 
,, imperialis (red and 
yellow) 
„ nigra 
,, Pyrenaica 
Jonquils (single and double) 
Pansies 
Primula Sibirica 
Erodium Hymenodes 
Andromeda 
Iberis sempervirens 
,, Teucreana 
Alyssum saxatile 
Berberis aquifolia 
„ dulcis 
„ Darwinii 
Gentiana acaulis 
„ verna 
Pulmonaria Virginica 
Walstenia geoides 
Ornithogalnm nutans 
„ umbellatum 
Dielytra spectabilis 
,, eximia 
Fiearia fl. pi. 
Caltha palustris 
„ „ fl. pi. 
Trollius Europceua 
Leucojum veraum 
,, eostivum 
Oxlips 
"Wallflowers (double and single) 
Magnolia conspicua 
Phlox subuiata, I believe, like 
Nelsoni, but with pink 
flowers 
Onosma Taurica 
Ophrys aranifera 
Potentilla alba 
